timtak

Thank you. I believe your appraisal of retro mech.

But, since my other two bikes are 10 speed, and nine speed parts are becoming rare, and because the whole purchase plan was in lieu of a body upgrade, I don't think I will be buying it.

While the sellers only ship to Japan, the UPS Treks are still on Jebay (Yahoo Japan auctions)
https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/d314648051
https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/b367581465

And there are quite a few on ebay too.
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw=trek+oclv&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=trek+oclv+posta&_sacat=0

Even the one at nearly 1900 is being watched by 33 people.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/TREK-5200-O...Xze:rk:39:pf:0


Here in Japan there are other options such as this carbon/Ultegra Intermax (a bespoke Japanese shop/builder) that seems to have hardly been ridden
https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/g325862650

I think I will just stick with the bikes I have for the time being. Part of my problem is that my seat tube is welded to an aluminium shim. I am going to try the freeze heat method.

maartendc

Well, I own this very bike, the Trek Madone 5200 from 2001. This one might be a year older or younger, because mine is all white, also with USPS decals.

This was the first carbon bike I ever bought / rode. Bought it used about 6 years ago. Never having ridden a proper road bike before, this thing felt FAAST!

- Mine is 10 speed Campagnolo Chorus. So you can definitely fit / find these bikes with 10 speed components. Kind of surprised that it has 9 speed, because I think that era was definitely 10 speed already.
- The ride quality is quite harsh on it. The frame is very very stiff. Good if you are looking for a real "race" machine. Not so good if you are looking for a bike to do long endurance rides on.
- Keep in mind that Ultegra or Dura Ace from that era is probably equivalent with modern 105 in terms of performance. So... don't get too carried away with the high-end names.

I am planning to sell mine personally, because the frame is just a bit too big for me. That being said, I think they are cool looking frames.

I paid 500 EUROS for mine about 6 years ago. I'd say for $500 I would buy it. $800 is a bit much.

rubiksoval

Dura Ace 10 speed came out in 2003, and Ultegra 10 speed came out in 2004.

timtak

Thanks. The "Dura Ace" (you're right - it looks like 105) is down to $670.
Reading this
How Wide A Range Of Frame Sizes Can You Ride?
Makes me think I might fit a 58cm. It has a 57cm top tube (which is sloping *down* - cool!) whereas my 54s have 54 cm top tubes but 15cm stems. This has a 11cm stem. It might be fine as it is! I am worried about the saddle position though, and my old knees. I would want to move that saddle way forward but then, I guess it will be going down, which will bring it forward.


Trek 5200 Us Postal Service Dura-Ace 2002 $670 plus $64 shipping

But then the nice looking and much newer (2009) Intermax is down to $800 in 56cm with the same size effective TT length as my own 54cm -- Modifications.


Intermax Sestriere Ultegra 2009

I need to stop dreaming and ride.

Dean V

How about a TT bike set up with drop bars. The frame geometry might be more suited to the way you configure your bikes.

timtak

You are right. And there was one for stale a few days ago (it is gone now). I will keep a look out.

Trouble is TT bikes tend to be popular and I guess it would be about 200USD or so to convert, for shifters and bars.

The Intermax has only 1 other watch-lister and is reduced by 10 percent every 6 days. Feel free to purchase! The integral seat post is not good at all. No wonder no one is interested.

superdex

my first real road bike was a Trek 2300 from the same era (aluminum, Ultegra 9spd). Was a great bike, but that stock blue bontrager saddle was a total vacuum cleaner. it sucked.

for US$800, there are a *lot* of options that are only a few years old and not 18 years old... https://www.ebay.com/b/56cm-Frame-70...=600&_udhi=900 (not constrained by location, I have no idea how it's different considering where you are)

Carbonfiberboy 

Thing is, that perfect Trek with the paint job, There aren't too many of those. 9-speed, 10 speed WTF. Doesn't matter. It's just the frame and the paint job. Wheels can be changed out. I mean, people spend millions on what are really period artworks, long surpassed in technical ability. It's all fun. What I want is a Y-Flyer. I once coasted against a Y-Flyer on my 5200. I won. Doesn't matter. So cool, so relagated. Don't know how stiff they are, though.

maartendc

Well, I think that type bike with that paintjob was fairly popular, you see a fair amount of them around on Ebay and such.

That being said, I do agree: if you like the paint job and the bike, why not buy it? There is always going to be something newer, better, etc. etc. If you don't care, and just like that particular bike, go for it. Even still: closer to $600 would be a better price for it. $800 is pushing it a little bit.

biker128pedal

caloso

How did you get the paint off? I have silver 5200 where the paint bubbled and delaminated in places. I could scrape big chunks off with my thumbnail, but I'd love to fully strip it. Most of the bits have been migrated to other bikes, but the frame is still hanging in my garage rafters.

Carbonfiberboy 

Crappy of them to have done such a bad job, isn't it? I had mine repainted at the factory twice on warranty, but they wouldn't do a third. Every time the paint just fell off. With nice paint, preparation is 95% of getting it right and also 95% of the labor.

I carefully dry-sanded it off by hand with 220 grit 3M Gold sandpaper. I used that paper because I have vast quantities of it, but it's good stuff. It's a sticky-back, so I tear off a piece maybe 3" X 5" and fold it in half. Like most carbon moldings, the carbon is covered by a layer of clear epoxy, so one quits sanding as soon as one hits black. It's a bit of a mess, but not too bad, and actually easy to do, though time-consuming. I don't remember for sure, but I might have given it a once-over with 400 grit when I was done with the 220.

When done, one could put on a polyurethane clear-coat with UV inhibitors. There are many on the market for marine use. If you do that, choose one with little inherent color. Many are tinted a bit brown to make them look like varnish. I only ride this bike outside a few times a year, so I simply sprayed it with 3M 303 Aerospace Protectant, which contains a UV shield. The 303 would need to be reapplied every few months if one uses the bike much. It's important to protect epoxy from UV.

Have fun. The result is very cool. The only issue might be the "braze-on" 9-speed FD. I just left mine all 9-speed. If it's a triple, you can go 53-39-30, the outer two being 10-speed rings, using the 53 that's normally used with a double. That works well, but the rings are getting hard to find. You can probably figure something else out. If you do, let me know what you did.

VtwinVince

Seems to be a lot of hate for Shimano 9 speed. I ran Dura-Ace 9 speed for years, and aside from a warrantied failure of a shifter unit, it was the best shifting stuff I've used.

timtak

I managed to get a similarly horizontal-top-bar-carbon-framed Look bike from the same period for the sort of money ($400) that folks recommended. It has a damaged carbon frame but I think I can mend it. The damage to the carbon is not structural but to the rear brake mount (who needs a rear brake?!). The parts are later, 105, ten speed I hope.



My colour, my style. Ooh.

[None of this Fondo carp] The drops are level with the top of the front wheels! I feel young again.

Maelochs

Aren't you afraid of blinding people? ( )

timtak

Not timtak. I sew padding into Yoga pants to get my hands on high visibility cycling pants.


High Visibility Almost All Over. by Timothy Takemoto, on Flickr

More recently, and in bullet time.

timtak

I managed to get the Look with 11s 105, and Fulcrum 5s. I thought it would be bigger
(nominally and top tube) but it is the same size as my other bikes so it needs a long stem
which makes the bars crazy low. I did not do this on purpose.

Okay, and still pretty by Timothy Takemoto, on Flickr
The column and handlebars are 1 inch. ! inch 1 inch stems are not easy to come by.I have ordered
a shim so that I can use the MTB 28.6 to 1 inch stem pictured.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/QILE...42804c4dYCuX6N
When I get longer gear wire I will flip that stem and maybe even use a spacer!
I am old.

mstateglfr 

What is that saddle to bar drop?! Pretty sure even Gumby would have some pains there.

Kimmo 

Hah, that position is badass!

So what's the deal with the brake bridge?

timtak

I am not sure but it is even more than on my other two bikes, which is saying something. It is too far. I need to make the wires longer and flip the stem.

Well spotted. The brake bridge is said to be broken and that is why the bike was sold as "junk." I have not gotten around to looking at it yet. It does not look noticeably broken to me -- because I know nothing -- and the rear brake functions but perhaps it is about to fall off into the spokes. I can't tell the difference between the look of it and the look of non broken Look KG386 bikes. E.g.

https://www.pedalroom.com/bike/look-...10#photo222170

Please tell me, what is the deal with the brake bridge?

Or did not spot anything, but read earlier in the thread that there is a problem with the rear brake? From a cursory inspection, it looks okay to me so far. The seller also said that the cranks were damaged such that he (or she) could not attach pedals but I attached pedals immediately without difficulty.

chainwhip

Is that seat post installed backwards??...(with a set back seat post you may not need a super long stem).
Is that your chosen/required seat height??
Did you purposely buy a "downsized" frame??

datlas 

You are not going to @timtak your stem?

timtak

Yes. I like to ride in a more TT position. I have tried not using a forward seat position, but I find it harsher on my old knees.

Yes, identical to my other bikes.
No. This time I thought I would not need the long stem. But I went and bought another bike with the same size frame as my other two bikes, and a short head tube and horizontal top tube.

timtak

Well, it is a negatively angled 135mm stem, so it is fairly timtaked but it does not require a trial bike stem since it has a nice short head tube. In fact the position is so low that I will reverse-timtak the stem, and maybe use the spacer below the stem (!!!) eventually, when the gear wire is longer.

timtak

Now I find that rear-offset is the way to protect my knees. I no longer push past 5pm but pull back at the bottom of the cycle so I don't stomp at all. Now with masses of rear offset I need a very short stem and perhaps a smaller frame!